I own(ed) Julius Thomas in a single dynasty league. I did not find the right package during the season to sell the impending free agent tight end off. That made being an aggressive seller prior to the free agent deadline a must.
This trade was in the HyperActive 2 Dynasty League, run by Ryan McDowell of DLF. I won my conference in 2014 and have an enviable core of young talents, which includes:
- Andrew Luck
- Odell Beckham
- Julio Jones
- Alshon Jeffery
- Sammy Watkins
- Randall Cobb
- Davante Adams
- Jordan Matthews
In addition to the above, I have Jerick McKinnon and Latavius Murray of note at running back and Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Tyler Eifert at tight end. With two young talents at tight end, Julius Thomas is not worth the risk to hold. A non-Denver locale in 2015 spells a drop off into mid-TE1 (or lower) range in terms of production and market value. Now was the time to cash out.
The best trade partners for Julius Thomas would be:
- Owners that value a track record for players
- Owners that look to be competitive in 2015
- Owners with a hole at tight end
Of course I threw out offers to multiple teams in the league (seeking a mid-1st or equal value deal), but the team that most fit the above criteria snapped up my proposal. Quickly, my plan to exit the Julius Thomas owning business was complete.
The Trade
- Gave: Julius Thomas
- Received: Jeremy Hill
The other team was very strong at running back (start-1RB mandatory, but can start up to 5 each week) with Matt Forte, Eddie Lacy, DeMarco Murray, and even Jonathan Stewart looking like solid bets for starting caliber touches in 2015. However, they had a ‘committee’ of Jared Cook, Niles Paul, Richard Rodgers, and Levine Toilolo at tight end. The deal made sense for both team and on a raw value perspective, I love getting Hill in return.
Going Forward
Jeremy Hill offers more security and another young upside option to go along with Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon. I like Murray and McKinnon, but there is a chance that neither is see 15+ touches per week in 2015. On most weeks I will be starting a single running back and now Jeremy Hill offers some security in terms of workload.
Post-Trade Roster
QB: Andrew Luck
RB: Jeremy Hill, Jerick McKinnon, Latavius Murray, Joseph Randle, Steven Jackson, Tyler Gaffney
WR: Odell Beckham, Julio Jones, Alshon Jeffery, Sammy Watkins, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, Jordan Matthews, Charles Johnson, Jeff Janis, Justin Hunter, Pierre Garcon, John Brown, Justin Blackmon, Michael Campanaro
TE: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Tyler Eifert, Luke Willson, Crockett Gillmore
